8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                            ------------------------

                                    Form 8-K


                Current Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of
                           The Securities Act of 1934


        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): April 16, 2003

                            ------------------------


                          UNION BANKSHARES CORPORATION
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



           Virginia                     0-20293                  54-1598552
(State or other jurisdiction of       (Commission             (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)        File Number)           Identification No.)

                            ------------------------

                              212 North Main Street
                                  P.O. Box 446
                          Bowling Green, Virginia 22427
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
                            ------------------------


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (804) 633-5031




Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.

         (a)   Exhibits.

               99.1     Union Bankshares Corporation press release dated
                        April 16, 2003

Item 9.  Regulation FD Disclosure.

         The following information and exhibit is being furnished persuant to
Regulation FD.

         On April 16, 2003, Union Bankshares Corporation issued a press release
announcing the appointment of a new member to the company's board of directors,
Mr. Ronald L. Tillett. A copy of the company's press release is attached as
Exhibit 99.1 hereto and is hereby incorporated herein by reference.




                                       2

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Act of
1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by
the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


                                       UNION BANKSHARES CORPORATION



Date:  April 17, 2003                  By:      /s/ D. Anthony Peay
                                           -------------------------------------
                                                D. Anthony Peay
                                                Senior Vice President and
                                                Chief Financial Officer








                                       3

EX-99.1

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

Contact:       D. Anthony Peay - (804) 632-2112
                  Senior Vice President/ Chief Financial Officer
Distribute to: Virginia State/Local Newslines, NY Times, AP, Reuters, S&P,
               Moody, Dow Jones, Investor Relations Service
April 16, 2003    11:00 a.m.                Traded: NASDAQ    Symbol: UBSH

          UNION BANKSHARES ELECTS FORMER VIRGINIA SECRETARY OF FINANCE
                              RON TILLETT TO BOARD

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Bowling Green, Virginia) --- Union Bankshares is pleased
to announce the election of Ronald L. Tillett to its Board of Directors. Mr.
Tillett is the Managing Director, Public Finance with Morgan Keegan & Company,
Inc. in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to joining Morgan Keegan, Mr. Tillett served
as Secretary of Finance for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 1996 to 2001 and
from 1993 served as State Treasurer for the Commonwealth. He served as Deputy
State Treasurer from 1987-93.

Mr. Tillett also served as a Senior Legislative Analyst for the Joint
Legislative Audit and Review Commission (1978-83) and the House Appropriations
Committee (1983-87) of the Virginia General Assembly. In addition to these
positions, Mr. Tillett has served on a significant number of boards and
government authorities, including the Board of Visitors for The College of
William and Mary and the Virginia Blood Service Board of Directors, chairing
that Board's Finance and Audit Committee. Mr. Tillett is a 1979 graduate of
Virginia Commonwealth University.

"We are pleased to have Ron Tillett join our Board of Directors," said Ron
Hicks, Chairman of the Board of Union Bankshares. "Ron's financial background
and experience will make him a strong addition to the Union Bankshares team,
including our audit committee."

Mr. Tillett shared, "It is a tremendous honor and privilege to be elected to the
Board of Directors of one of the strongest performing financial services holding
companies' in Virginia. I look forward to working with management to continuing
growing Union Bankshares Corporation's assets while continuing to provide
full-service community banking services to our customers."

Union Bankshares is one of the largest community banking organizations based in
Virginia, providing full service banking to the Central, Rappahannock,
Williamsburg and Northern Neck regions of Virginia through its bank
subsidiaries, Union Bank & Trust (19 locations in the counties of Caroline,
Hanover, King George, King William, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Westmoreland and the
City of Fredericksburg), Northern Neck State Bank (9 locations in the counties
of Richmond, Westmoreland, Essex, Northumberland and Lancaster), Rappahannock
National Bank in Washington, Virginia and Bank of Williamsburg in Williamsburg
and Newport News. Union Bank and Trust also operates a loan production office in
Manassas, Virginia and has announced plans to open a Loan Production Office in
the Richmond market in the second quarter. In addition, Union Investment
Services, Inc. provides full brokerage services and Mortgage Capital Investors
provides a full line of mortgage products.

This press release may contain "forward-looking statements," within the meaning
of federal securities laws, that involve significant risks and uncertainties.
Statements herein are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Company
and are factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Actual results
could differ materially from those contained in or implied by such statements
for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to: changes in interest
rates; changes in accounting principles, policies, or guidelines; significant
changes in economic conditions; significant changes in regulatory requirements;
and significant changes in securities markets. Consequently, all forward-looking
statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary statements and the
cautionary language in the Company's most recent Form 10-K report and other
documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Union Bankshares
Corporation does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect
circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements
are made